Under Trees
by Midori-Onigiri
Summary: That's where they met, under the trees by the lake. Tabatha, or Tabby for short, loves to draw. Malfoy happens to be sitting in the tree she's leaning against, after a short conversation things are never the same. Summary sucks please read
1. Chapter 1

Alright so this is my very first Harry Potter Fanfic. I don't know how good it's going to be but I'm sure you know what it's like when the inspiration strikes you just have to get it down. This is a MalfoyXoc if you don't like that I'm not sure why you're reading this. So please read on and don't mock me. This takes place during

Warnings: nothing in this chapter might be something later on.

I don't own Harry Potter or anyone else from the books, I can only wish.

A perfect day like today was not to be waited inside the castle. The sun was up and there were no clouds anywhere to be seen. Tabatha, or Tabby for short, loved to sit outside and draw. She would sit by the lake, under a tree and paint anything she found art worthy. Today the way the lake reflected the sky and plants she had to get it down. She pulled out her sketch pad and started to draw.

Half an hour later she put her pencil down. The outline was done, now it was time to color. Another 20 minutes later and she put down the pencil again. she looked and the finished product and sighed, it didn't look right. " I don't get it," she spoke to herself. "They never turn out right anymore" she put her pencils away and headed to her next class.

After she left and figure jumped out of the tree. A certain blond haired male stretched and look at the lake. "Looked fine to me," he stated.

Tabby finished her class and headed back outside. She was determined to make sure the she drew at least one good picture today. She sat down under the same tree as that morning and pulled out her art supplies. She drew the lake again and looked at the outline. The outline looked fine so she figured she should finish it. She added the color and looked at the final product. It was still off. She couldn't understand it. "Why doesn't anything turn out right anymore?" she asked herself angrily.

"I don't see what you're whining about," a voice said out of nowhere. "I think it looks ok."

"Tabby looked around for the source of the voice and found nothing. She was sure she was going crazy.

"Up here," came the voice.

Tabby looked up and sure enough found the person in the tree. It was none other than Draco Malfoy.

He gracefully got down and took the picture from her hands she tried to protest but he just ignored her. His eyes darted left and right as he scanned the picture. "I don't see why you're complaining," he stated. "It looks just like the lake."

"Yes," Tabby replied. "But something's still off, and I don't know what."

Malfoy looked down and her for the first time since getting out of the tree. She had short brown hair a pixie cut. Her eyes were purple, which was strange even for wizards and witches. He noticed she was wearing Slytherin robes. He never noticed her before.

"Well perhaps you're being too picky," he said.

"I am not being too picky; I can't help it if my work doesn't live up to my standards."

Malfoy just shrugged. He noticed a folder on the ground with a few drawings sticking out. He picked it up and flipped through. She had drawn everything and anything.

One picture was of the potions classroom, cauldrons boiling and Snape at the front of the class writing on the board.

Another was a picture of Mrs. Norris standing at attention. The detail Tabby had put into the picture was incredible. Malfoy was certain the picture was going to come alive at any minute.

The one that caught his attention was one of himself. He was asleep on one of the big armchairs in the Slytherin common room. There was a window behind him, half covered by a green curtain. The light landing softly on his sleeping face.

Malfoy smirked and held up the photo so Tabby could see it. She blushed a shade of crimson that could rival a Weasley. She hung her head and mumbled something about the light being so great that she had to capture the effect. Malfoy smirked and handed her the folder.

"These are quite good," he told her.

She blushed again and thanked him. She said a quick goodbye and gathered her items. She left quickly without looking back.

Malfoy was amused. He had a feeling the year was about to become a bit more interesting.

Ok so that's it, well the first chapter at least. I hope you like it. I know it's not much to go on but still. Please review. If you review I'm more likely to continue on. FLAMERS WLL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	2. Chapter 2

Alright here's chapter 2. I hope its ok. I'm sorry I should have mentioned before this takes place during HBP. Some events will be changed but I'll keep to the book as much as possible.

Ookami-25: I hope you like this next chapter. Thanks for the review.

MrsDarcy14: I'll take a look at your story. I'm glad you like it so far. There are a lot of great ideas for him. I already have 2 more ready to go once this one's done.

Thanks go out to these 2 reviewers. This chapter is for you guys. I hope you like it.

Warnings: none yet

I don't own Harry Potter or any characters from the book, I can only wish.

Class was done for the day and Tabby heaved a sigh of relief. Since her art work had started going downhill she had felt strange. Like something was missing. Her art brought her so much joy, so when she couldn't draw right it brought her down.

She wasn't going to stop though. She would draw until she knew exactly what was wrong. She made her way to the great hall for dinner. She sat at the end closest to the door and pulled out her art supplies. She didn't look up at all during dinner. She just ate and drew.

Meanwhile halfway down the table a certain blond haired male noticed Tabby. Malfoy stared at her, she was quite strange. She never spoke to anyone; she just grabbed some food and started drawing. Then he realized that nobody was sitting near her. How odd, did she even have friends? He watched her for 20 minutes while she drew god knows what.

She seemed to have finished because she put down the pencil and looked over her drawing. Malfoy was sure this one turned out right, until she crumpled it up. Tabby gathered her art supplies and left the great hall. Malfoy watched her leave and returned to the conversation he had been ignoring before.

Tabby entered the Slytherin common room and threw her bag down with a huff. No one was there to bug her so she complained out loud. "I don't get it! I do everything the same but it never turns out right. I even make sure to add better shading. I tried to stop the extra shading but that didn't matter. I don't know what to do!" she finished her rant and took a seat.

Fed up she went to bed. That night she woke up three times, each time she drew what she had seen in her dream. All three times it turned out wrong.

The next morning she woke up tired and confused. Art was the only thing she had. Despite being Slytherin she wasn't very good at anything. Sure she knew how to get what she wanted, but she never found much fun in it. She guessed being pureblood was one of the main reasons she had gotten into Slytherin at all.

Tabby made her way down to the great hall for breakfast. She ate her eggs alone as usual. She didn't have any friends, before she was just too wrapped up in her art to talk to anyone. People believed she thought she was better than them, so no one wanted to talk to her. She didn't mind though, being alone made it easier to work; No one bugging you about the homework or how stupid Gryffindor was.

Though right now she found she was a little lonely. Without her art to occupy her she had nothing to do. She ate quickly her head down the whole time. Soon breakfast was finished and she made her way to her first class. The class she usually liked but was dreading today: art. She made her way to class and sat in her usual seat. She sat upfront because she loved to see the techniques her teacher used up close. Her teacher walked in and started the lesson. Since this was a school for witches and wizards, they used magic to create art. Tabby grabbed a blank canvas and began her work. She wasn't sure what it was yet, she just let her mind guide her movements. She finished her painting and stepped back to admire her work. She was so certain that it wasn't going to turn out right; she looked at the painting and gasped. It was perfect, not a single line out of place. It was a snake. A large snake with green and silver skin with black beady eyes that looked almost real.

"Tabatha my dear it's perfect!" cried her art teacher. "Class quickly come look at this!"

Tabby's class gathered around her painting. "Tabby this looks so good"

"Great job"

"Wow"

"Cool, you need to tell me you're secret"

Tabby blushed; she was never one for the spotlight. She was always sitting back and letting others shine. The teacher noticed that all the other students were done as well. "Alright class for the last half of class I want you to draw eyes. Not just any eyes, I want to see eyes filled with emotion. Anger, sadness, joy, or anything else; just make sure I see emotion"

Tabby set to work on the eyes. What emotion to use. Joy was so easy. Drawing sad eyes didn't take much effort. She decided to draw the eyes and see what emotion they most resembled, she was too tired to care. She quietly drew the eyes, she needed t o choose a color for the eyes. She went with her gut instinct once again. Putting down her colors she looked at the eyes. They were silver, a very greyish silver.

Her teacher walked over once again and gasped. "Tabatha, they're beautiful. What emotion did you choose?"

Tabby scanned the eyes and searched for something, anything to get the teacher off her back. Her eyes widened a bit when she found an emotion she never would have guessed. "Torment," she stated.

"What?" asked her teacher.

"The emotion is torment," answered Tabby softly. "They aren't sad exactly I would have made them glisten more, with tears. There is suffering under the surface but they don't let anyone know."

The art teacher was at a loss for words. She simply nodded and headed off to look at another photo. Tabby packed her things a got ready to leave. The teacher dismissed them and she went to her next classes.

Lunch arrived quickly and Tabby sat outside by the lake once more. Looking out at the view she pondered her art. She couldn't figure out why everything turned out right in class today but not yesterday, or the day before that, or even the week before that. Nothing made any sense.

Tabby pulled out her sketch pad and started on a new lake drawing she finished it in record time and put in the colors. But it still didn't look right. Now she was getting upset. Art was her only friend. It was all she had, she was nothing without it. Art made her who she was. Now she felt hollow and wrong without it.

Tears silently fell down her face. She didn't dare cry out, too many people around to see her. She just sat there as the tears fell. Despite being surrounded by all colors imaginable the world looked grey. She was so unsure of herself now; she didn't want to face anybody. She knew she couldn't stay out here forever. She had classes to go to. She picked herself up off the ground and wiped her face. Her head hung as she walked to her next class.

So that's it. I hope you guys like it so far. This was really annoying to write because I had so many interruptions while writing it. So please review, it makes me happy. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright third chapter already. I have a good feeling about this. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks to my one reviewer MrsDarcy14. I'm so happy you like it so far. I'm sorry I haven't been putting more on but I've been trying to come up with better ideas. Art class would be so cool to take at Hogwarts. So yah this chapter is for you.

Warnings: nothing right now. Just someone being mean.

I don't own the books we all know that.

Tabby's afternoon classes were just as boring as her morning classes. Nothing interesting happened. Nothing inspired her to draw. She sighed and headed to the great hall. She was going to sit in her usual spot but noticed someone already there; One of the snobby girls from her art class.

Tabby was unsure of what to do; talking to people was never one of her strengths. She could tell the girl she was in her seat -but that wouldn't go over well. The girls would probably just laugh at her and embarrass her in front of her housemates.

On the other hand, she could just ignore them while sitting next to them and eat in silence as usual. Tabby doubted the girls would just let her be. She decided to just sit in the middle and try to make small talk. She slowly approached the table and slid into an empty space. As more students filled in they took seats around her.

Tabby lowered her head and waited for the food to arrive. Nobody spoke to her while they waited in line. She looked to her left and saw a boy with short brown hair talking to someone just across from him. Looking to her right she saw the blond haired boy she had met by the lake: Draco Malfoy.

Tabby nearly jumped out of her skin; she never expected the king of Slytherin to sit next to her. Then again all his friends were around so he probably didn't even notice she was there. She looked away and hoped dinner would start soon. Three minutes later, the longest three minutes of her life, the food appeared and she grabbed a small amount. She didn't want to seem like a pig.

She ate quietly and kept her head down. She was so scared to talk to the people around her she barely noticed someone talking to her. It was a girl sitting right across from here.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Oh... I'm Tabatha Sittle," Tabby replied, hoping no one noticed how scared she was. She looked around and saw many people staring at her. She felt so scared; she hated when people stared at her, she felt like she had grown another head.

"I haven't seen you around very much before," stated one boy.

"Uh, I...tend to spend a lot of time alone," replied Tabby.

She glanced quickly to her right and saw Malfoy was in fact one of the many people staring at her. She didn't have much time to collect her thoughts before she was bombarded with questions.

"Where were you born?"

"What's your best class?"

"Why do you like to be alone?"

Tabby answered all the questions thrown at her. By then end she had a bit more confidence and was looking at the people as she answered. Tabby was relieved when all the questions stopped. She was still quite scared and didn't want to say something stupid. She relaxed a little bit. Only to tense back up when none other than Malfoy asked a question.

"What year are you in?" he inquired.

"I'm in 6th year like you. We have classes together," Tabby replied slightly shocked. What did she expect? That Malfoy, the Malfoy, would know what year she was in. He didn't even know she existed until a day ago.

Malfoy was stunned. "My year? Really? I never noticed."

Tabby smiled. "Most people don't notice me so it's not very surprising."

Malfoy simply stared for a few more seconds before regaining his composure. Dinner went by smoothly after that. Tabby joined in conversations about how bothersome school was, or how Snape was an awesome teacher. She found that she was actually enjoying talking to other people.

Dinner ended and they all made their way to the dungeons. Upon entering the common room Malfoy and his troupe sat themselves in the main sitting area by the fire. Tabby was walking towards the stairs to her room when she heard her name.

"Tabatha come sit with us," cried one girl; all but Malfoy nodded, who simply sat in silence. Tabby smiled and walked over to the group.

"I will if you call me Tabby. When people call me Tabatha I feel like I'm in trouble; my mom only calls me Tabatha when I'm in trouble."

The others laughed and Tabby sat down on the floor. The chairs were all taken. They talked on again about meaningless subjects. What they were talking about might not have been important, but to Tabby every word was priceless. She was talking to people, she wasn't as afraid anymore –not until someone brought up her art.

"So you're an artist right?" asked one of the boys.

Tabby froze a little but calmed herself enough to answer the question. "I guess you could call me that. I like to draw and paint but nothing very good."

"Don't lie," said one girl. "I'm in your art class and I know firsthand that you have a lot of talent. Today definitely proved that."

Tabby blushed and said it was nothing. The girls insisted that Tabby get out her art folder and show off her work. Tabby shook her head and tried to convince them not to look. They simply wouldn't have it. Tabby heaved a sigh a pulled out the folder. The group pulled out her work and passed it around. Malfoy was even paying attention now. The group finished looking and handed back the folder. Tabby braced herself for the mocking, the sting of rejection, and the harsh words. None came though. Everyone in the group thought Tabby was very good. One girl even asked for some advice on her own drawings.

Tabby was beaming. She couldn't believe people liked her work that much...perhaps all those years of being alone had warped her mind. She looked over at Malfoy only to see him not paying attention once more. She pushed the disappointment aside and continued to chat with the others.

Soon the others decided that it was getting late and they were too tired to continue. Tabby agreed and walked with them towards the rooms. She had reached the stairs when she realized she had forgotten her bag by the fire. She said goodnight to the others and went back for it. She got to the fireplace and found it gone. Tabby panicked, all her art supplies were in there, all her work too.

Someone coughed behind her and she spun around. Malfoy stood there holding her bag. He handed it to her and said, "I thought you were already upstairs, I was going to get another girl to put it on top of your trunk."

Tabby thanked him and walked towards the stairs. She was stopped by Malfoy calling her name.

"Tabby," he spoke in a sincere tone, "you do have a lot of talent."

Tabby blushed and ducked her head. She quickly climbed the stairs and sat on her bed. She got ready for bed and but he bag in her trunk. She was about to get into bed when someone grabbed her shoulders. They spun her around to face them. She came face to face with the snobby girl from art.

The girl got very close to Tabby and said in a voice tainted with venom: "you have absolutely no talent. Don't think that those people tonight actually liked your work- they just don't want to hurt your feelings. You're nothing but a bother to them; they only spoke to you because they liked to see you squirm. You are nothing, remember that. Oh, and stay away from Draco, we wouldn't want you to lower him to your level now would we?"

With that she left, Tabby stood there stunned. The girl had spoken so softly that nobody else had heard her. Tabby shook her head and held back the tears threatening to fall. She climbed into her bed and let the tears fall silently down her face. It was dark and nobody could see her. She fell asleep that night with feelings of doubt in her head, but no comfort would come through sleep, for her dreams were plagued with doubt and insecurities.

Awww I feel really bad for what I'm doing to her. I hope you liked it. I'm really getting into it. Review please, it makes me feel happy. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR S'MORES.


	4. Chapter 4

Here's chapter 4. Now I'm starting to get some writers block, so please review with some ideas that you would like to see, the ones I like will be put in and I will say who gave the idea.

MrsDarcy14: thanks again for the review. I'm sorry I haven't been posting but lots of stuff happened. Things are better now and I'm back.

This one is for you MrsDarcy14. Enjoy.

Warnings: nothing quite yet.

I'm pretty sure we all know that I don't own the books.

Tabby woke up early that morning, unable to get back to sleep. Sighing she got out of bed and headed to the shower room. Washing quickly she dressed and went to sit in the common room. Arriving there she saw a few first years sitting by the fire, but nobody else. She grabbed a big padded chair in a corner and pulled out her drawing pad. She didn't really have anything to draw but she liked how it felt holding her pad.

Whenever she was upset just sitting with her pad in her hands made her feel better. She pulled out a pencil and began to trace. She wasn't sure what she was drawing, it was shaped like a heart though. She finished the tracing and coloured it in. When she finished she stared in shock at the picture she had created

It was a heart with a huge crack down the middle. It wasn't in two but it was quite damaged. There was blood dripping of the heart into a puddle right below it. What scared her most was how the heart looked. It wasn't one of those silly hearts made with two little bumps. It was a real looking human heart. She shoved the picture into her backpack. Not caring if it ripped.

She noticed others were starting to make their way down to the common room. She paced her things and headed down to breakfast, she didn't want to face the other Slytherins after last night. She arrived at the great hall before all the other Slytherin students. She sat in her old seat and waited for breakfast to begin. The food arrived and she ate quickly, she was hoping to finish before the others even arrived.

She finished in record timing and stood up. She walked quickly to the door and pulled it open. She came face to face with Draco Malfoy followed by his group. They stared at her for a minute before one boy piped up.

"There you are, we were wondering where you had gotten off to. We couldn't find you anywhere in the dorms."

"Yah," Tabby replied. "I have a lot of work to do today so I decided to get up early and eat early too. Sorry guys."

"Aw I really wanted to talk to you some more," whined one girl.

Tabby looked unsure. She remembered what the girl had said to her last night. She wasn't sure who to believe. She simply shook her head and told them she would see them at lunch. She walked to her art class and tried to think of a way to get out of lunch.

Perhaps if she were to fake and injury and go to the hospital wing. Someone might want to accompany her though. She banished all thoughts of lunch out of her mind as she entered art class. She noticed the same girl from the previous night. She was talking to the teacher.

"Yes, well Lisa I don't think you are quite grasping what I mean. You can draw eyes yes, but I see no emotion. The exercise was not to simply draw the eyes, but get them to convey an emotion. Take a look and Tabatha's. This is what you should strive to be like."

Lisa nodded and moved to a blank canvas. Tabby kept her head down and moved to one of her own. Tabby pulled out a pencil and thought about what to draw. She turned to her teacher and said, "professor what are we working on today?"

"Tabatha," her teacher exclaimed. "I'm glad you're here. Now you can get a head start or you could if the models would show up. Today we are drawing people. I have a few models picked out. Each student will receive a model and then take them somewhere to draw. But first the other students must finish the eyes I assigned yesterday. It seems you were the only student to finish."

Tabby blushed and nodded. She was nervous about drawing another person. The only time she had drawn people was Snape with his back towards her and Malfoy asleep. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this. She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on the class door.

"Perfect!" cried her art teacher happily. "The models are here."

She opened the door and Tabby almost died right then and there Malfoy walked in followed by the rest of the group. They stood and the front of the class while her teacher explained what was going to happen. It seemed that she would be spending quite a few classes with her model. This project was worth a large chunk of her grade.

Her teacher turned to her and smiled. She told Tabby that since she was the first one done she got to choose her model first. Tabby walked around them and looked at the critically. Really she was just trying to put off choosing. She wanted so badly to choose Malfoy, he was perfect for drawing, he had great eyes and his jaw structure was gorgeous. She looked at all the models though and looked like she was having a hard time choosing. Perhaps her teacher could see the small glances she kept throwing at Malfoy, or maybe fate hated her. Either way her teacher was getting tired of waiting.

"All right that's it. Tabatha your model is Mr. Malfoy, now please go get started."

Tabby nodded and headed out the door quickly avoiding Lisa's gaze. She could feel the heated glare directed and the back of her head. Malfoy followed her silently until they were away from the classroom. She stopped and turned around to face him. He stopped and stared at her. She studied his face, trying to decide where to draw him and what he would be doing in the picture.

She couldn't figure anything out, her mind was blank. She was getting frustrated. _I need a place to think_ she thought to herself. Just then Malfoy tapped on her shoulder and pointed to a door starting to form on the wall just ahead of them. She opened the door and walked in. It was a simple room with some chairs by a table. On the table some pastries sat on a plate with a pitcher of milk. Tabby smile and sat down in one of the chairs, Malfoy followed. Tabby picked up a pastry and bit a piece off. She smiled; it has a blackberry filling, her favourite. She studied Malfoy more as he ate his donut.

"So," he said finally. "When do we start?"

Tabby sighed; it was going to be a long day.

-----

So that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	5. Chapter 5

Alright so here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I'm surprised I've gotten this far with it; I don't usually get this far in a story. I would just like to say that this is a mix between the book and movie, I hope you don't mind.

MrsDarcy14: I'm glad you are enjoying this so much. I hope you enjoy this chapter. This one's for you!

Warnings: maybe some language that you might not want to say in front of some younger children, other than that nothing.

I think we all know I didn't write the books.

Tabby stared at Malfoy like he was crazy. When were they going to start? Honestly, he had no idea how hard it was. You didn't just pick up a pencil and start to draw. You needed to put thought and emotion into it. She had no idea where to start.

She needed to come up with an idea. She looked around and saw a couch behind them. It looked like the couches from the Slytherin Common room. She told Malfoy to go sit on it. Malfoy sat there while she studied him. She tried to find a decent pose for him.

"Alright that one won't work, sit right in the center and cross your right leg over your left."

Malfoy did as he was told for what felt like the hundredth time. He decided to intervene before Tabby lost it.

"Alright," he said. "Maybe you're thinking too hard. Why don't we just see how it looks when I act naturally? Why don't I read a book and you can see if that works, if not then I can do homework and you can see if that works. We'll keep trying until we get it."

Tabby nodded and sat behind her canvas while Malfoy pulled out his book. She waited a few minutes and peer over the canvas. The sight she saw made her eyes widen Malfoy had leaned back on the couch and was staring intently at his book. His pose was so natural, so perfect. He wasn't even meaning to be.

She pulled out a pencil and immediately started drawing. By the end of the class she had gotten the rough sketch done. Tomorrow would be the tough part. The painting would take a few days. She didn't mind though, it was part of the whole artist package. She put away her supplies and flicked her wand. The canvas disappeared, returning to the classroom. Malfoy noticed and put his book down.

"How did it go?" he asked while he stretched.

Tabby smile and replied, "it went very well, the pose you have when you read is perfect. I got the sketch done so I'll start to paint tomorrow."

Malfoy smiled and gathered his things. "Yes I know I'm perfect," he stated.

Tabby rolled her eyes and walked past him, out of the room. They parted ways and headed off to their other classes. Tabby walked down the hall and started thinking about tomorrow. She was so sure she was going to get a great mark on her project. She smiled and headed off to the art room to drop off her canvas.

When she arrived students were still trying to put the finishing touches on their sketches. Lisa was looking frantic. Tabby glanced at her model and held in a laugh. Lisa was stuck with Goyle. Tabby smiled to herself and put her canvas with the others. She noticed Lisa's glare as she left the room but paid to attention to it. She simple exited the room and walked towards her history of magic class.

Tabby didn't like the rest of her morning. She had history of magic class and then Herbology. Tabby couldn't concentrate at all during her classes. She missed many key points during her history of Magic lecture. And during Herbology she wound up getting bitten by a flesh eating plant of some sort. Nothing too bad, but it still stung. Tabby heaved a sigh of relief when the lunch bell rang.

She made her way from the greenhouses back to the school. She walked into the great hall to see Malfoy and his group sitting and eating. Tabby tried to look as small as possible. Perhaps of she was lucky they wouldn't see her. No such luck.

"Tabby there you are! Come sit with us," cried Pansy. The others at the table agreed and yelled for Tabby to sit with them. Tabby walked over quietly and sat down. She saw Lisa further up with her little group of friends. Lisa hadn't noticed Tabby yet to she was still quite relaxed. She grabbed a plate a put some food on it.

Tabby noticed Draco sitting across from her. He looked up at her and she smiled. He didn't get a chance to react though because Pansy had attached herself to Draco's arm. Tabby couldn't help but envy Pansy. Draco would never let her get that close to him. Apparently he wouldn't let Pansy get that close to him either. He pushed her away and told her that no matter how many times she asked he would never be interested in her.

Pansy backed away slightly and turned to Tabby. "So you're painting Draco for your project huh?"

Tabby nodded and blushed slightly. She prayed nobody saw it.

"With a model like Draco you're painting is sure to be the best one," stated Pansy.

The others in the group laughed. Tabby laughed too. "Although," she said. "It was hard to get him to fit on the canvas what with his head being so large and all."

Tabby froze; she hadn't meant to say that. She was sure they were going to kill her for that. Much to her surprise everyone in the group broke down with laughter. A few even fell out of their seats. Tabby looked up at Draco expecting to see anger in his eyes. What she saw was him laughing along with the rest of the group.

Tabby relaxed and joined in. She was relieved that everyone found her funny. She was so sure they were going to rip her to shreds. After the laughter died down they made small talk until lunch ended. Nothing eventful ever happened at lunch. The bell rang and the group dispersed to go to their classes. Tabby headed towards the dungeons for potions. She had barely left the great hall when she felt a tap on her shoulders.

Tabby turned and came face to face with Draco.

"You headed to potions?" he asked.

"Yah, are you?" she asked in return.

Draco nodded and started walking again. When Tabby didn't follow he stopped and turned. "Well?" he asked. "Are you coming?"

Tabby smiled and ran to catch up with him. She was very happy; things seemed to be looking up.

TA DA! Another chapter completed with many more to follow. Thanks to all who are reading, I hope you liked it. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys! Guess who's back! I had killer bad writers block for a long time and when I try to force myself to write it tends to come out bad. But thanks to one of my best friends the story is back with a vengeance! So here it is. I hope you guys like it. Please review.

MrsDarcy14: thanks for sticking with me. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Here's the newest one.

AkatsukiDarkAngel: Tada like you wanted I updated. Thanks for helping me work through the writer's block. This chapter is for you!

Warnings: maybe some language that you might not want to say in front of some younger children, other than that nothing.

I think we all know I didn't write the books.

Tabby loved her day off. No school work to worry about, no teachers to listen to for hours on end, and best of all no Lisa to pick on her.

As Tabby descended the stair case to the main area she saw Draco talking to Pansy and Blaise. She wanted to go over and say hi but didn't want to interrupt the conversation. She tried to pass unnoticed by the three, but failed miserably.

"Tabby!" cried Pansy. Said female jumped at the loud cry. Pansy flounced over and grabbed Tabby's arm. "Tabby, you'll go shopping with me... right?"

Shopping? Was she serious? Tabby couldn't form an answer and hoped that Pansy took it as a negative answer. " Great! I'll go try to convince the others to join us." Tabby stopped, did she even say yes? No memory of saying yes came to mind. Either Pansy took her silence the complete wrong way or Tabby had never had a choice even from the start. She turned around, fully intending to let Pansy know that she didn't want to go, and came face to face with Blaise. He was standing next to Malfoy and both of them wore very sour looks. Pansy had found some way to get them to agree, although it didn't look like they were pleased about it.

Pansy grinned triumphantly. "Trust me guys this is going to be loads of fun." The trio looked at each other doubt shining in their eyes.

It was amazing how much shopping Pansy could do. Tabby was ready to call it a day after the third store; they were now entering the seventh store. It was a clothing store filled with fancy and posh articles. They lined and walls and went all the way up to the ceiling. The store was large and Tabby felt very uncomfortable in it. Pansy on the other hand did not for she let out a squeal and ran to the ladies half, dragging Tabby behind her. Meanwhile Draco and Blaise sauntered to the men's side.

Tabby waited patiently as her shopping partner tried her selected items on. Each time Pansy emerged with a new outfit she would twirl and let Tabby get a good look. Tabby, in turn, would hmmm and haaaah. Then they would both giggle. After the small giggle fits Tabby would either give thumbs up or thumbs down and Pansy would throw it into the corresponding pile. After that Pansy would go back into the room, try a new outfit on, and the whole cycle began again.

Pansy exited the room and strolled out to where Tabby sat. She twirled and smiled very wide. "What do you think of this one?" she asked looking at herself in the mirror. Tabby Smiled and looked the shirt over. Pansy wore a corset top with green and silver beading on it; it was a very Slytherin top. "I think you look stunning in it," replied Tabby meaning every work she said. Pansy giggled and jumped up and down. "Oh good I really do love this top. I wonder what Draco will think of it." Tabby froze. Did that mean that Pansy and Draco we together? She shook her head a little to clear it. Why did it matter if they were? Tabby tried to push the small feelings of jealousy that were pooling in her stomach. The guilt felt worse than that though. She tried to push it to the back of her mind. She was having a good time and didn't want to spoil that day. She also knew that the king of Slytherin would never fall for a plain Jane girl like her.

When at last Pansy's mountain of clothing had been narrowed down to a small pile Pansy announced that she was finished. Tabby heaved a sigh of relief and stood, ready to leave. "Great!" she exclaimed. "Let's go pay."

Pansy shook her head and looked at Tabby expectantly. "Silly girl... it's your turn." When Tabby didn't respond at first Pansy began to tap her foot.

Tabby shook her head violently "no no no no... I-I don't shop... well I do just... I don't feel like shopping today." She grinned hoping the stubborn girl would give it a rest; no such luck. "That's not a good enough excuse and you know it," argued Pansy. "So unless you can give me one good reason, I'm going to make you try on every item in this store."

Tabby bit her lip and pulled Pansy off to the side. After taking a deep breath she began, "ok so the truth is I don't have a lot of money. My mom has a terrible job with absolutely no benefits. I can't really afford these expensive clothes." Tabby looked down with shame.

Shock was written all over the other girls face. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. If I had I never would have dragged you shopping. I don't want to seem like I'm rubbing it in your face. Really I am so sorry." Pansy looked like a deer caught in headlights. She had never wanted to offend Tabby just have a good time out and about with her.

Tabby smiled and patted Pansy's arm gently, trying to comfort the poor girl. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know. Just promise me you won't tell the others alright?"

Pansy smiled and nodded. "You know they won't really care. Oh I know, Let me buy you something; to make up for dragging you around all day."

"No! Absolutely not! I refuse to let you do anything or the sort," argued Tabby.

The stubborn girl got a look in her eye. "Alright so here's the deal," she began. "Either you let me buy you one item of any price or I'm going to buy you the most expensive ball gown this store sells."

Tabby glared and Pansy. The two locked eyes and began a very intense stare down. Eventually Tabby folded; looking away she sighed and agreed to let Pansy buy her one item. Said girl shrieked with delight and began searching the store for Tabby's article.

While Pansy was rooting through a rack of shirts the sound of Draco's voice startled her. "You aren't done shopping yet?" he asked. She shook her head and explained, "I promised Tabby I would get her something and I don't know what to get her."

Throughout her explanation Pansy noticed Draco's attention was not focused on the current conversation. Instead he focused on a shirt on the rack to their right. As he walked away with Blaise Pansy grabbed the shirt and ran to get Tabby.

Tabby stood in the changing stall for five minutes later, staring at her reflection. A knock on her door woke her from her musings. "Hurry up the boys are getting hungry."

With a sigh the door was opened and Tabby emerged. As she came into view the grouped stopped talking and looked at her. They were all silent for a moment, until Pansy squealed with joy. The boys stared as Pansy spun Tabby around to get a good look at her and gushed about how great she looked. Said girl blushed from all the attention she was receiving. She wore a black halter top with folds around the stomach area. It had a very low back and Tabby was feeling more than a little self conscious. Pansy was very pleased that she, with a little help from Draco, had found such a great top for Tabby.

As the group left the store, bags in hand, tabby noticed Draco looking at her. She blushed and looked away. They headed to The Three Broomsticks, all of them glad for the shopping break and a chance to rest.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully for the group: After lunch they visited two more shops before going back to the castle. When they returned Tabby tucked her new shirt into her trunk and headed back to the main area. Until dinner she was found by the fireplace, sketch book out and the pencil moving furiously across the page.

Dinner passed quickly and as she got ready for bed Tabby happily noted that she had seen nothing of Lisa at all throughout her day.

So there it is. I hope that's good enough for you guys. Remember to review... you know that little button below this that says review... hit that! FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	7. Chapter 7

Check it out guys another update. Plus I'm almost done chapter 8 so that should be up within a week or so. I hope this chapter is good. I'm really starting to love this fic again. I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

AkatsukiDarkAngel: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks again for helping me past my writers block.

Warnings: maybe some language that you might not want to say in front of some younger children, other than that nothing.

I think we all know I didn't write the books.

The morning after her shopping adventure Tabby woke up with itchy fingers. She really needed to draw something or paint. She pretty much needed to create another art piece. As she thought about what to paint it hit her like a bludger: her project for art class. All students were given permission to work on it outside of class. She decided that getting a head start on the painting would be great.

She descended the stairs to the main area and saw Draco lying completely across one of the couches. She walked over and cleared her throat to get his attention. Draco looked up and, after noting it was Tabby, smiled.

"good morning," he greeted. "what can I do for you today?"

Tabby laughed at his greeting, but answered. "if you aren't busy I was hoping we could work on the painting today"

Draco nodded and stood. "only after I get some breakfast," he laughed. At the mention of breakfast Tabby's stomach let out a very loud growl. Her cheeks burned bright red and she began to laugh with Draco as they left the common room.

The two talked quietly over breakfast. "so how's your recovery after yesterday's shopping trip?" asked Draco with a chuckle.

"well my feet haven't fallen off yet so I think I'll pull through," replied Tabby before taking a bite out of her bagel. Half way through breakfast Lisa walked into the great hall looking far too pleased with herself. She sat down and began to serve herself breakfast. Tabby didn't like the smile that was sitting on Lisa's face, but she kept her opinion to herself. Instead she focused back on Draco and started a new conversation. They sat talking for a while more before leaving the great hall. Tabby glanced at Lisa as they left the hall and saw her staring right at Tabby with the largest smirk she had ever seen. A feeling of dread followed Tabby all the way to the art room.

As they entered the class room Tabby froze. Draco noticed the sudden stop and looked in the same direction as Tabby. Where her sketch had been was now a canvas filled with splotches of paint. There was even a rip in one spot. His jaw dropped and he felt anger bubbling in this stomach. Tabby's reaction was slightly different; she bit her lip to stop the tears from falling, it didn't work. She felt the tears flow free and leave tracks down her cheeks. She tried to breath in but it came out as a sob. She covered her face and her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body.

Draco approached the vandalized canvas and flicked his wand. When nothing happened he began using every spell he knew. Nothing he tried would remove the paint whoever did it charmed it to stay on no matter what. He tried to think about whom would do such a thing, but nobody came to mind. Whoever it was though, he was a dead man. He would see to it that they suffered for it.

Pushing his anger aside he approached Tabby. "I'm so sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "don't worry about it, she told him. "it's not your fault."

While that was true Draco was still angry. He wasn't used to comforting people so he had no idea what to do. He settled for putting his arm around her shoulder and giving her a half hug. He led her out of the room and looked for the room of requirement. He spotted the door and pulled her towards it. Pulling her inside, he sat her down on the big plushie couch the room had created. He let Tabby calm down before discussing the next move.

"so," he started. "what are we going to do now?"

"I don't know replied Tabby her throat dry from the crying. Draco noticed a glass of ice water on the table next to him. He grabbed it and handed it to Tabby. She took it with a small thank you and drained the whole thing. After she finished the glass she began to speak again. "it was only a sketch so I guess there's still time to redo it . I don't want to do the same pose as before though. We'll have to find a new location."

Draco nodded and thought about where she would be able to draw him. He picked a few places, made a mental list, and pulled Tabby off the couch. "follow me," he ordered. She followed quietly behind him having no clue where they were going or why.

The first stop on Draco's list was the common room. He sat down by the fire and asked Tabby, "well would you like to draw me in here?"

She thought about it for a minute, shook her head, and explained, "it's a good location for subject matter but all the people coming and going would be distracting. Besides I promise you the group would watch me as I draw and I can't draw with that many pairs of eyes on me."

It made sense; she needed somewhere she could feel comfortable. The less stress there was the better. Draco went down his list and eliminated some because of crowds. He crossed off the Great Hall, the library, and the duelling room. He still had a few places up his sleeve though.

Unfortunately every time he suggested a place there would be a problem with it. The quiddich pitch would be too windy, plus the only thing she could draw would be him on a broom which would be too difficult for her to see. Tabby refused to draw him in the forbidden forest. No matter where he suggested it would always be shot down.

Eventually Draco ran out of ideas. He couldn't think of a single spot that would work. Then it hit him. He jumped up and once more dragged Tabby from her seat. When they arrived at the location Tabby looked around and asked, "here?"

"yes here," replied Draco. "I was hoping to avoid this one but it was the last place I could think of." Tabby shot him a confused look so he explained, "this is the tree where we first met. I thought it was a little too cheesy but we're running out of ideas."

"my god," exclaimed Tabby. "The Draco Malfoy has something of a heart. I think I need to sit down. I feel faint!"

Draco laughed. "just don't tell anybody else ok?" he asked jokingly.

Tabby looked around, trying to figure out where Draco should sit. In the end she decided to sit him in the tree while she stayed on the ground. Draco climbed the tree and cast a charm to prevent falling. He sat with one leg dangling off the branch with his back against the tree. His other leg was bent with his foot flat on the branch. His arms resting on his knee and his chin rested on those.

Tabby smiled and summoned a fresh canvas. She had high hopes about this one, she liked it way better than the last one. Pushing her joy to the side she settled down and got to work.

TADA! All done. Ok you know what to do! See that little button that says review... yah that one, click on it... please? FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	8. Chapter 8

Hurray another one done! Hi everyone hope all is well. If things go the way I plan I should have like 3 or 4 chapters out in the next week.

Thanks to everyone who read and an even bigger thanks to those who reviewed. You guys rock!

clariny90: sorry about the mistakes I try to catch them but I'm only human. I'm glad you like the story.

AkatsukiDarkAngel : thanks for helping out with the writer's block… again.

Warnings: uhhh… I don't think you need to worry.

We all know I own nothing… well Tabby is mine.

Draco decided it was fun to watch tabby work. The way she looked while she was drawing was beautiful. Eventually though he grew bored. "Tabby I'm bored," he stated

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Then try to find something to entertain yourself… without moving"

Draco sighed. He had no idea what he could do without moving from his current position. Tabby, watching his whole internal dilemma, noticed his disappointment when he couldn't figure out what to do and watched his face light up when he got an idea.

"Alright so I have an idea, but it involves participation on your end."

She thought about it for a minute and decided to join in, anything was better than Draco complaining.

"Fine let's hear this idea of yours"

"Ok," replied Draco. "So I'll ask a question and you and I have to answer honestly. Got it?"

Tabby nodded, now more than a little scared. What sort of questions did he intend to ask? She continued to sketch as he thought of his first question. "Ok!" he exclaimed. "I got it… what's your favourite color?"

Tabby laughed, more than slightly relieved, and answered, "Red is by far my favourite color. What's yours?"

"Green"

Tabby couldn't help but laugh that. Of course his favourite color was green. That was so typical. And the rest of the afternoon progressed that way. Draco found out that Tabby liked reading history books. He also found out that she didn't like coffee, but she did like peppermint tea. And her favourite fruit is grapes.

Tabby found out that Draco also loved reading history books, he liked his coffee with sugar only, and his favourite fruit is strawberries.

The next day they were in the same spot. While tabby drew more details Draco asked more questions. "What's your favourite food?" he asked for his first question.

Tabby smiled very wide and replied. "Chocolate. I absolutely love chocolate."

Draco laughed; of course her favourite food would be chocolate. That was so typical of a girl. He looked back at Tabby to see her staring at him. He realized she was waiting for his answer. "My favourite food…" he paused. Tabby sat up a little and spurred him on. He sighed and mumbled his answer.

"You're going to have to speak up," nagged Tabby.

"Oh alright!" He exclaimed. "My favourite food is chicken noodle soup"

Tabby quickly caught the laughter threatening to escape. She could tell Draco was embarrassed by this and it made her happy that he liked her enough to share that with her.

Draco asked a new question quickly to change the subject. The time tabby had to tell Draco her favourite subject. She began to say art when Draco interrupted her, "something not art."

She smiled and revealed that next to art she loved herbology. Draco, of course, loved potions.

The rest of the afternoon progressed the same as the previous day. Tabby found out that Draco's favourite teacher was Snape, his favourite holiday was thanksgiving, and one of his hobbies was flying.

Tabby told him that she liked madam Hooch most of all, she was a fan of Christmas, and one of her hobbies other than art was singing.

By the third day Draco had grown bored with silly little questions. "Can I ask a few personal questions?" he asked. When Tabby looked scared he quickly fixed the problem. "Tell you what," he said. "I'll ask the question and if it's too personal you let me know… ok?"

She thought about it for a minute, biting her lower lip the whole time. Finally she nodded and Draco relaxed a little.

His first question was about her ideal boyfriend. Tabby blushed heavily and explained that she wanted a guy who would make her feel safe. He couldn't be too controlling and he needed a sense of humour. He needed to be patient and let her draw him.

Draco wanted his girlfriend to be a good cook. She also had to be able to put up with all his sarcasm. He also wanted her to give him a little privacy.

By the end of this question Tabby had completed the sketch of him. At the end of each session they would lock it in a special room with five or six locks so nobody could ruin it. Now that the sketch was done she could begin to paint. She pulled out her wand and summoned all the things she would need to paint. She used magic to create to colors she needed and got to work.

Tabby started with the trees because they were the easiest thing to paint. While she painted they spoke very little, painting was a lot harder than drawing. Draco was annoyed at having to sit still and stay quiet, it just wasn't like him.

Every time he tried to start a conversation Tabby would only answer with short answers. Eventually Draco gave up and tried to keep himself from getting bored. He settled for letting his mind wander. He thought about the winter break that was slowly approaching. He was going to be all alone in his large house. He glanced down at Tabby; perhaps he could invite her over for the holidays.

"Alright you can come down now," Tabby's voice broke through his thoughts. He smiled and jumped down from the tree. He grabbed a few of Tabby's things and the walked back to the castle.

There you have it. Hope you liked it. Please review. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	9. Chapter 9

I present to you… the next chapter! Hope you like it and don't hate me for taking so long.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well that's not true Tabby is mine, but other than that I own nothing.

Draco had been continuing to question Tabby every second he got. Even when they weren't working on the assignment. It had gotten so bad that Tabby made a limit on the number of questions he could ask per day. Some days they were simple question like favourite author, other days they were more personal like her dream wedding. It was a personal day once again. As they walked up from the dungeons he asked her, "What's your family like?"

Tabby stopped suddenly and Draco ran into her back. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No it's alright," she assured him. "It's just that nobody's ever asked me about my family before."

Draco looked down at the floor; he hadn't meant to offend her. Tabby lifted his chin and told him, "That doesn't mean I won't answer… just not here. Follow me."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him up the rest of the stairs. She led him to the entrance to kitchens and tickled the pear. After they had been seated and were surrounded by piles of food she began, "it's just my mother and I in my house. My mom works 2 jobs and both of them suck. We're pretty broke so we don't really decorate our house. It's mostly mix and match. My mom has always been a very supportive force in my life. She fully supports my love of art. She constantly tells me to go out and draw something for her. I'm sure what else to tell you. I just didn't want the others to know that I'm poor. Pretty lame huh?"4

Draco laughed, "It's not lame at all. I get that; the others can be pretty harsh. Your mom sounds great, but what about your dad?"

The light smile Tabby had faded quickly after he asked. "My dad? Well he was killed a long time ago. He was protecting my mom and I from some death eater… he didn't make it."

Draco instantly regretted asking Tabby about her father. He hoped she wasn't angry with him. He also became more nervous when she asked about his family. His mind began to find a way to get out of the question. Though he knew that she would know he was trying to avoid the issue, thus she would want to know more than ever. He tried to find a way to stretch the truth, but that wasn't fair to her. He took a deep breath and began, "my mom is strict but very kind. She would discipline, but reward good behaviour. She used to bring me to Diagon Alley for tea and cakes. But recently, after all the media problems we've been having, she's shut herself away or has gone to remote locations to get away from everything."

"And what about your dad?" asked Tabby.

Draco sighed; he had known this would come up. "Well you already know about my dad. It was all over the papers."

Tabby nodded and looked at him. "I do know that much… but I would like to hear your side of the story"

Draco smiled and scooted a little closer to Tabby. He was so happy that someone was interested in his side and not just what the Prophet said. "Well," he began. "My dad was a death eater, and he did a lot of awful things. I'm not going to say that he doesn't deserve to be locked up for it, but it's still so hard known that your dad may get the Kiss any day now. He isn't a bad person though, he loves mother and I very much. He always wants us to have the best of everything, no matter how small. He supported me in everything I did. If I wanted to play Quidditch he would go out and by me the best broom. If I wanted to study potions he would go get me the highest quality ingredients."

As he described his father, Draco's smile grew bigger. Tabby smiled at how cute he was. "He sounds like a great father," she told him.

"So the fact that he was a death eater isn't weird?" asked Draco, a little afraid of her reaction.

"It's not like you're one, so it's ok," she told him with a smile. Draco's stomach flopped at her words. She began to walk ahead as Draco stood, wrestling his guilt. "Oh," she said as she stopped and look at him. "I sent an owl to my mother with my animal choice." She grinned evilly at him. Draco, seeing her grin, sighed as he knew where it was going. Her smile softened as she finished her explanation, "for an owl of my own."

Draco laughed, she had been trying to freak him out and it had worked. He would have to get revenge sometime soon. "Oh," Tabby's voice interrupted his plotting. "I'll be expecting that engagement ring any day now." With that she walked back towards the dungeons. Draco laughed once again and caught up to her, putting his arm around her waist he said, "Of course darling what would you like? Sterling silver?"

"Oh heavens no, "replied Tabby, "24 carat gold and the biggest diamond you've ever seen."

"Ah," exclaimed Draco. "My woman has good taste"

"Your woman?"

"Well yes I don't exactly intend to share you, what kind of husband do you think I am?"

Tabby looked at him and smiled innocently. "I'm not going to answer that," she told him.

Their laughter echoed throughout the dungeons.

Here you go! I know it's a lot shorter than my other updates but I love how this ended and I didn't want to ruin it by adding more to it. There should be another update fairly soon. I have ideas and I know what I want to say. FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey look at that! Am I awesome or what? Just kidding. I felt bad about being away for so long so I made another chapter for you guys. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I only own Tabby

Once again Draco found himself up their tree while Tabby painted. He began calling it their tree after he realized he was only ever in or around the tree when it was just the two of them. The tree was almost like a secret spot. As he watch Tabby paint he decided that having her over to his place for the winter holidays would be fun, and he was sure she's love it. He told himself he would ask her today. As soon as possible. He wanted to know if she already had plans so he tried not to sound too eager when he asked, "so you doing anything interesting over the break?"

Tabby's face brightened immediately. "I'm going home to see mom," she told him happily. "I miss her so much and I can't wait to see her. She said she had a surprise for me."

Draco's heart sunk, he couldn't ask her over now. She was very excited to see her mother and he didn't want to make her choose between him and her mother. He knew she would pick her mother, but Tabby would feel bad the whole time. She would feel like she had abandoned Draco. He decided to keep his idea to himself. The rest of the afternoon went by silently, at least until Pansy showed up. She just appeared out of nowhere, or that's what it seemed like to Draco. He was barely paying attention to what she was saying.

He saw her blow him a kiss and leave. He was pretty sure she had asked him about the extra potions help she had asked for. He would talk to her later. After Pansy had left Tabby decided to call it a day. Draco was halfway down the tree when Tabby asked, "so you and Pansy huh?" Draco was so startled that he almost fell out of the tree. Tabby looked alarmed and apologized to him. "Where did you get a crazy idea like that?" he asked her.

"Well when we were shopping she kept asking me if I thought you would like those outfits. And Just now she was flirting and was saying she couldn't wait to meet up with you later."

Tabby blushed and looked away; she didn't want Draco to see how disappointed she was. She looked up quickly when she heard him laughing.

Draco was doubled over, clutching him stomach, and laughing harder than she had ever seen him before. "You think Pansy and I are dating?" he asked between laughs. "Oh no no no. I love her… but like a sister. She flirts because she thinks she has a chance with me, but I just don't see her that way. Oh man I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude, but that was too funny."

Tabby smiled, relief flooding through her. She would never tell anybody this, but she was glad they weren't together.

The two began the walk back to the castle, making small talk. When they arrived back at the common room Tabby was told that an owl had come for her. She sat next to Draco on the couch as she opened the envelope.

Draco watched her as she read. She smiled when she saw who it was from and then the look of joy turned into one of sorrow. He could see tears forming in her eyes and she put down the letter. Draco took her hand as she fought back the tears.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked urgently.

"It's from my mom… she wants me to stay at school for the winter break. Apparently she will be working triple shifts for most of it so she says there's really no point in me going back just to sit in an empty house."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Draco. After receiving a hurt look from Tabby he realized him mistake. "Oh man that came out wrong. What I mean is I was planning on inviting you over to my place for the break, but then I saw how excited you were about going home. I decided against asking you… but now you can come over to my place for the break. Please say you will."

"What about your mother?" Tabby asked.

"She off on some island trying to get away from all of the papers and stress," Draco explained.

Tabby smiled very wide and launched herself at Draco, hugging him tightly. "I most certainly will join you for the break! After all nobody deserves to be alone on Christmas."

Draco hugged her back and began planning things in her mind.

"Oh there are a few conditions," stated Tabby as she ended the hug. "First off there will be minimal use of house elves. I don't want you telling them to make us big fancy meals or anything like that got it? Second there must be a gift exchange, but don't you dare buy anything expensive. And finally… we must bake constantly."

Draco snickered at the last condition but held his hand out anyway. As they shook on it they both began to think of what to get each other.

So there it is… there should only be a few more before the Christmas chapter. Please review. You know to do that right? Just click the review button… please?


	11. Chapter 11

HI GUYS! Miss me? So here's the next chapter. I already have the next one almost half written already so you won't have to wait long for the next one. I hope you like it!

blissfullyinlove: I'm glad you like it!

clariny90: I'm sorry! I don't mean to take so long… things distract me. But here it is and thanks for the pointers!

AkatsukiDarkAngel: thanks for being awesome and pushing me to write this! And thanks for the brain storming sessions.

I really don't think I'm the genius behind the books.

A week after Draco's invitation the two were back at the tree. Tabby was putting the final touches on the painting. It had been a long project but they were finished. As Tabby put her brush down for the final time she felt a sense of sorrow. Now that they were no longer had the project what would become of their friendship?

Draco was feeling the same way. He had really gotten to know her, and he wanted to keep learning more. He liked spending time with her, it was refreshing. She didn't care about status of blood or anything like that. He could open up to her and he loved that. He also loved knowing that he was the one who had helped her come out of her shell. She was still shy around new people, but with the group she spoke up and made jokes.

They stayed for longer than usual that day, even though the project was finished, Tabby on the ground and Draco in the tree. Neither said anything for a while until Tabby broke the silence. "We should head back," she stated. "I still need to submit this."

Draco nodded and climbed out of the tree. They walked back silently, both ignoring what they both wanted to say.

When they walked into the art class Lisa was talking to the teacher, Tabby tensed up immediately. Draco saw and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" he asked. "Are you ok?"

Tabby forced herself to relax. She assured Draco that nothing was wrong. When Lisa had finished speaking to the teacher Tabby walked forward to hand in her canvas. The teacher took it and gasped. "Tabatha it's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Tabby smiled and thanked the teacher as a blush rose on her cheeks. "It wasn't just me." she explained. "I had a great model."

Draco smirked; of course she would say something like that. Draco stood in the corner as the teacher continued to discuss Tabby's painting. Soon they were able to make a break for it, saying they needed to get cleaned up for dinner. They were so caught up that they didn't notice Lisa glaring at them.

Dinner that night went to differently than usual. Jokes were made and the air was thick with excitement. The Slytherin Christmas party was in four days. Tabby almost choked on her drink. "What!" she asked.

"You didn't hear?" asked Pansy. Tabby shook her head. "There's going to be a huge party in the common room. A bunch of the seventh years planned it. Remember to dress nice."

Tabby swallowed thickly as she nodded. Parties weren't exactly her thing. She had already decided not to attend when Draco asked, "you're going right?"

Tabby opened her mouth to say no, but stopped before she could. Everyone in the group was looking at her, waiting for her answer.

"Of course," she answered finally. Well now she was stuck, but she didn't mind so much. Everyone's reactions were so happy. She sighed and went back to eating her dinner.

The four days went by far too quickly for Tabby's taste. She was looking through her clothes to find something nice, but everything seemed like it wasn't good enough. Finally she reached into the bottom of her trunk and pulled out the shirt Pansy had gotten her. Tabby looked back at the pile of tops she had already tried. Shrugging she slipped the top on. Pansy had made a good choice; the top hugged her in all the right places. She smiled as she looked at her reflection. A gasp from the doorway made her jump and spin around. Pansy was standing in the doorway smiling at Tabby.

"Tabby you look so good!" Pansy squealed. "The boys are going to be all over you."

Pansy laughed as Tabby blushed. "But…" pansy trailed off. "We need to do something with your hair."

Tabby backed away as Pansy slowly approached her, wand out and ready.

20 minutes later they descended the staircase to the main area of the common room. The music was pounding in Tabby's ears as she searched for Draco in the sea of people. She spotted him on the other side of the makeshift dance floor. She walked around the dancers and ignored the looks she was getting. Draco's back was to her as she came up behind him. He hadn't noticed her arrival and was still talking to one of the seventh years. The older student's gaze passed over Tabby before shooting back to her. Draco noticed the double take and turned around.

Tabby smiled shyly as Draco's jaw dropped. He quickly composed himself and leaned in so Tabby could hear him. "For a while I was sure you weren't going to show," he told her.

Tabby smirked and said, "And miss seeing you lose your composure… never."

"I couldn't help it," defended Draco. "I am but a man, and you look so good tonight.

Tabby felt her cheeks burn as she blushed; soon her whole face was as red as a tomato. Draco laughed at how embarrassed she was.

The first chunk of the party was enjoyable for Tabby. She stood with Draco and joined in some conversations. At one point though, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to see a guy a year above her, he asked her to dance with him. She politely declined and turned back around to continue her discussion with Draco. A few minutes later another guy asked her to dance, again she declined.

Soon the count had risen past 10 guys. Each time Tabby thanked them, but declined. Finally Pansy had gotten tired of Tabby declining every guy that asked her to dance. She waited for a break in conversation before grabbing Draco and Tabby's wrists. She dragged them onto the dance floor and turning to Draco demanded, "Dance with her!"

Tabby blushed and began backing away. "Oh no," she said. "That's ok. I'm fine really."

Draco shot her a look and pulled her close. "One dance won't kill you," he argued. Tabby said nothing as Draco began moving them to the music. At first her movements were stiff and slow, but after some encouragement from Draco she was relaxed and moving freely. Tabby danced for a lot more than one song, with Draco leading her the whole time. She had no idea how long they were out there, but she really didn't care.

The only reason she stopped was because someone had grabbed her wrist hard. She was pulled away from Draco and spun around to face the intruder. It was the first guy she had declined. "So you'll dance with him but not with me?" he hissed in her ear.

Tabby panicked. "I…it… we…" she tried to explain herself, but was too afraid to form a complete sentence. She didn't have to struggle for long because Draco had move to her side and was yelling at the guy.

"How dare you treat her like that! I want you out of my sight before I hex you!"

The guy said nothing as he turned around. Draco relaxed as he saw the guy retreating. Unfortunately this meant he let his guard down slightly, he didn't anticipate the guy turning around quickly and slapping Tabby across the face. Tabby staggered back, clutching her cheek, as Draco pulled out his wand and hexed the older student. When he turned around to make sure she was ok, Tabby was gone. Draco looked over to Pansy who shook her head at his silent question.

Draco had a few ideas as to where Tabby could have gone. He tried the room of requirement first… nothing. Next he tried the art room, not there either. Next he decided to try their tree, it was a long shot… but there weren't many other options. As he got closer he could see a figure sitting in the tree. When he was close enough he could see that it was Tabby.

He used a simple charm and joined her in the tree. "A little cheesy don't you think?" he asked softly.

"What?"

"Meeting here. I expected better from a friend of mine," he explained with a smile.

Tabby laughed and punched his arm. Draco smiled and wiped a few stray tears lingering on her cheeks. He held her chin lightly as he inspected her face. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yah."

Draco wasn't completely convinced, but he didn't press the issue. Instead he hugged her and said, "Don't let him bother you. You look fantastic and we're still going to have a great winter break."

Tabby nodded and hugged back a little tighter. They stayed in the tree until Draco charmed them down. "Come on," he said. "We're both tired and we're going to have to be up early tomorrow morning."

"Lame," groaned Tabby.

Draco laughed and promised that Tabby could sleep as much as she wanted when they arrived at the mansion.

TADA! Hope you like it. Next chapter is really cute, expect it soon. Please review, they make me happy! FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	12. Chapter 12

Hello all! How is everyone? Here's the next chapter. It's not very long, but I think it's really cute. Enjoy!

I think we all know I didn't write the books.

Tabby entered the mansion and her jaw hit the floor. The entrance hall seemed bigger than her whole house, or at least two thirds of it. Draco looked over and laughed at her expression. "It's not that big… is it?" he asked.

Tabby composed herself and smiled. "It is," she explained. "And I'm not used to anything this grand."

He nodded and took her coat to hang in the closet. After storing the coats he began the grand tour. He showed her the garden first. It was charmed to always be summer and Tabby could already picture herself drawing out there. Next was the library. After that he began to show her the places he thought she would love the most. First on that list was the living room. There were three couches around a large fireplace. Tabby smiled, she figured that would be the place they would spend most of their time. Next he showed her the guest bedroom she would be staying in. it was next to his in case she needed anything. Second last on the list was the grand bathroom. Tabby's eyes glazed over as she entered the room. The tub could easily fit 20 people, there were fluffy towels in all colors hanging on the rack, and there was a large shelf of bubble baths and shower gels. Tabby was told that she was welcome to use anything she wanted.

Last on the list was the kitchen. Draco had saved it for the last spot and he couldn't wait to see tabby's face when they walked in. he pushed the doors open and heard Tabby gasp. Draco turned and saw excitement flash through her eyes; he knew they would be spending a lot of time there. Tabby turned to him and said, "I can't wait to start baking!" she went around and inspected all of the baking tools available to them. Draco was pleased to see Tabby so happy, especially after what had happened the night before.

"Now that the tour is done, why don't we put your bags in your room?" he asked.

"Sure," replied Tabby as she headed out the doors. The walked back to the main hall and grabbed their bags. On the walk back Draco would point at things and tell her stories about them.

"See that statue? When I was a child my uncle convinced me that every night it came alive and watched me sleep."

Tabby laughed. "And you really believed it?"

"He would move it every night so it was in my room. Eventually I became too scared my mother forced my uncle to tell the truth."

"Aww poor baby Draco's afraid of a statue," Tabby cooed at him.

"Hey, remember whose awesome kitchen you're going to use," Draco countered. Tabby smiled and shut her mouth.

After they had deposited the bags they began to argue about what to do. Draco wanted to go sit in the living room, Tabby wanted to bake.

"But we just arrived," Draco complained as Tabby stood her ground.

"So?" asked Tabby. "That doesn't mean we can't bake… please…"

Draco sighed and led Tabby back to the kitchen. They spent the afternoon backing chocolate chip cookies. Draco pouted when Tabby laughed at him for getting dough in his hair. As revenge, he smeared some of the dough on her cheek. As the cookies baked they cleaned their mess and waited eagerly so they could try them.

Draco hummed happily as he chewed the first bite. "They're great!" he exclaimed with joy.

"I'm glad you like them," Tabby told him. "I have lots of really good cookie and cake recipes for us to make."

Draco smiled and assured Tabby that he was looking forward to all of them.

Tabby yawned as Draco munched on another cookie. "Tired?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted.

Draco nodded. "Would you like to take a nap?"

"Yes please."

He led her back to the guest room and helped her get situated. "When you wake up come find me in the living room," he told her. Tabby nodded and shut her eyes as she snuggled further into the bed. As he left, Draco hoped Tabby didn't get lost trying to navigate the mansion. And if she did, he hoped she wouldn't run into anything dangerous.

Here you go, another chapter done! Hope you liked it. Please review! FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	13. Chapter 13

Hello everyone! It's been a while I know… Please don't hurt me! I apologize for the short chapter but I think it's cute and I hope you think so too. I have the next two more chapters written and all they need is to be typed up. So as long as work doesn't do something stupid they should be up soon.

Enjoy everyone!

I think we can all agree that I did not write the books.

All Tabby wanted to do was find the living room. Somehow she found a hallway she had never seen before. Strange dark paintings decorated the halls; She was scared but, at the same time, curious.

"are you lost?" asked a silky voice behind her.

Tabby jumped, startled by the mysterious voice, and turned to see a boy her age standing there. The boy chuckled lightly as he bowed and places a gentle kiss to her hand. "Allow me to show you to your desired location. My name is-"

"Tabby!" Draco shouted from the other end of the hall. "What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to find my way back to the living room," Tabby told him as she took her hand back and walked to Draco's side. "Somehow I got lost?"

Despite the tension in his form Draco smiled fondly at Tabby and said, "Turn left at the end of the hall, go down the stairs, take the first right through the black door, and walked until you see a red door on your left… that's the living room."

Tabby shot him a look that she hoped conveyed how grateful she was. As she passed she gave him a one armed hug and muttered, "thank you" into his ear. She left quickly, Draco watching her go before turning to glare at the other boy.

"So her names Tabby?" the boy asked with a smirk. "Such a Pretty name for a pretty girl."

"Why are you even here Damien?" hissed Draco.

"Can't I come visit my favourite cousin during the holiday season?" Damien asked with a dramatic hand to his heart.

"You never just show up for a visit," Draco pointed out.

"Well you got me there," stated Damien, letting the hand fall. "But I've completely forgotten now that I've met Tabby."

"You will stay away from her!"

Damien looked pleased at Draco's outburst. "Touchy aren't we?" he sneered.

Draco moved forward and held his wand at Damien's throat. "You do anything to her, anything at all, and I will kill you."

Damien moved back slightly so the wand was no longer touching his skin. "You're awfully protective of her, it's not like she's your wife."

"Well… you see…" Draco stuttered, trying to find a good way to defend himself. When nothing witty came to mind he settled for, "maybe she will be." Draco could have slapped himself, why did he say that? He was putting Tabby at risk.

"Oh I can't wait," Damien said as he began walking away. "Married women are much more tempting."

Draco balled his fists and ground his teeth, but decided to walk away; he knew Damien would leave. Damien never stayed anywhere unless there was something in it for him, and right now he wouldn't benefit from sticking around… but Draco knew he'd be back at some point.

He made his way back to the living room to find Tabby sketching one of his house elves. "Who was that?" Tabby asked as Draco sat down next to her.

"My cousin Damien. He's a year older that we are." Draco looked her in the eye for his next statement. "If he does anything to you, come tell me immediately. I've never trusted him."

Tabby could see how serious and concerned he was, so she simply nodded her agreement.

"So how did you sleep?" Draco asked, trying to change the subject and lighten the mood.

Tabby smiled and answered, "Great, that nap really helped a lot."

"You feeling good enough for a shopping trip at Diagon Alley?" inquired the blond boy.

Tabby though for a moment. "I do have some Christmas shopping that needs doing," she stated, mostly to herself.

"That settles it," stated Draco. "Get your stuff… we're going shopping."

TADA! Like I said, sorry if it's a bit short. Please review! FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


	14. Chapter 14

Hi everyone! I didn't wait too long this time! I know this one's a little short, but it's sweet. Also I just want to warn you that Draco may look a little ooc in the next few chapters. I swear this will be explained in a few chapters, so please be patient with me.

Thank you to my reviewers on this chapter.

ZoomyStripes: Thanks for the review; I'm glad you like it!

AkatsukiDarkAngel: Thanks again for helping me move past the writer's block. Enjoy!

Everybody knows I didn't write the books.

Tabby staggered as yet another person bumped into her. Draco glared at the person and asked Tabby is she was ok.

"Yes I'm fine,' she assured him. "It's just annoying is all; it's very crowded because everyone wants to finish their shopping."

Draco nodded and pulled Tabby closer to him. Most people were smart enough to avoid hitting a Malfoy. He kept Tabby close in hopes that people would avoid hitting her too. It seemed to work, Tabby wasn't hit again as they made their way to the post office.

Tabby's mother had sent Tabby's Christmas gift and Tabby needed to tell the postal workers where to deliver it. When they had finished there, Draco led her to the books store where they both picked out a few books for some friend's gifts. As they were leaving Tabby's stomach let out a mighty grumble. Draco laughed at how red Tabby blushed. "Are you hungry?"

"What gave it away?" Tabby asked dryly.

Draco chuckled and said, "come on let's go get lunch… my treat. He took Tabby's hand in his and led her to his favourite place to eat.

"Draco I can't let you pay for my lunch," Tabby argued as she tried to take her hand back.

Draco refused to let go as they reached their destination. "You don't really have a choice my dear," he explained as they sat down at the table they were led to. "Consider it a thank you… for staying with me over the holidays."

Tabby wasn't pleased, nor did she like his excuse, but she didn't press the issue. She also didn't let her annoyance ruin the meal. She ordered a good looking salad and a glass of fruit juice. Draco got a chicken dish of some sort.

"So who else do you need to get gifts for?" Draco asked as they ate.

"Oh yah!" Tabby exclaimed before reaching for her bag, "I need your help with one."

"Ok…" Draco was confused, but stayed silent and gave Tabby a chance to explain.

Tabby pulled her sketch book out of her bag. "For my mother I want to choose a sketch and then paint it in full color. I just want your opinion on which picture to use, before I get started. So… which one do you like the most?"

Draco took the book and began flipping through. He kept an eye out for something he thought Tabby's mother would like. He didn't know much about her but he would do his best. He flipped the next page and paused. It was a picture of the Hogwarts grounds as seen from the astronomy tower. Draco loved it, but knew Tabby's mother deserved something nicer. He flipped s few more pages before finding the one.

It was obviously drawn during class. It was a baby firecrab sleeping, it was very cute and Draco thought that Tabby's mother would like it. He showed her the picture and she smiled.

"Good choice, mom will love it."

Draco nodded and handed back the notebook, then went back to finishing up his food. After they finished lunch they wandered around aimlessly for another hour or so before deciding that the crowds were too much. They arrived home and put their purchases back in their rooms. They spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen backing a multitude of foods, only stopping to eat dinner.

Tabby fell asleep quickly that night; she'd had quite the day and was very ready to rest.

There you go! Like I said short but sweet. Hope you liked it. Reviews are wonderful things don't you think? FLAMERS WILL BE USED FOR SMORES!


End file.
